African Burrowing Python

The Calabar python (Calabaria reinhardtii) is a species of non-venomous snake in the family Boidae. The species is endemic to West and Central Africa. It is the only species in its genus.

Etymology

The specific name or epithet, reinhardtii, is dedicated to Danish herpetologist Johannes Theodor Reinhardt (1816–1882).

Taxonomy

Although Schlegel (1848) first assigned this taxon to the genus Eryx, most herpetologists have since regarded it as a python, which is still reflected in many of its common names. Kluge (1993) referred it to Charina (Erycinae) based on a phylogenetic analysis. Charina was used to group together C. bottae and C. trivirgata with C. reinhardtii to emphasize evidence for a historical connection between the New and Old Worlds, as well as for taxonomic efficiency. All recent analyses, however, place Calabaria reinhardtii at the base of a large clade within Boidae, which consists of the Boinae, the Erycinae, and an American clade made up of Charina (Lichanura included) and the Ungaliophiinae.

This species was long regarded as a member of the family Pythonidae, a fact still reflected in many of its common names. It was moved to Charina by Kluge (1993) based on a phylogenetic analysis; however, analyses based on DNA show that Calabaria is not closely related to Charina, and instead it appears to represent an ancient branch of the boid snakes with no close living relatives.

No subspecies are currently recognized.

Description

Calabaria reinhardtii grows to no more than 1 m (39 in) in total length (including tail), and the body is fairly uniform in its thickness from head to tail, with a pronounced cylindrical profile.

No palatal teeth are present and, unlike other boids, the compact skull includes a prefrontal bone. No thermoreceptive labial pits are present. Adapted to burrowing, the body is cylindrical with a blunt head and equally blunt tail. The head is covered with enlarged shields. The shape of the tail closely resembles that of the head which may be a defensive adaptation, meant to confuse an attacker. The body is muscular and strong. The eyes are relatively small and usually a dark reddish-brown color. The pupil is round.

The color pattern consists of a dark brown or black ground color speckled with red, yellow and/or grayish spots. The tail may be ringed or have a partial ring of bright white scales. This ring of scales is assumed to exist to confuse attackers and draw attention away from its head.

The smooth dorsal scales are arranged in 29 to 32 rows at midbody. The ventrals are 221–239. The anal plate is entire. The subcaudals are 20–28, also entire.

Geographic range

Calabaria reinhardtii is found in the equatorial rain forest regions of West and Central Africa, from Liberia and Sierra Leone to Cameroon (including Bioko Island), the Central African Republic, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the DRC, it is found almost as far east as Lake Kivu. According to Stimson (1969), the type locality is the "Gold Coast". It also occurs in Gabon and the Cabinda enclave of Angola.

Behavior